Orhaniye

 

 

Orhaniye village is located on the south of Datça Peninsula, the southwest of Marmaris and in Hisarönü Bay, one of the heavenly spots of Turkey with intact natural beauties.

Orhaniye, a former Greek village with typical Aegean – Mediterranean qualities and a 25 km distance to Marmaris, offers a smooth sea since it is surrounded by mountains. Orhaniye lets you feel genuinely relaxed with its quiet environment.

The mountains surrounding Orhaniye bay and the reflections of the pine trees on the water are unmatched. The pine trees, which are the sources of the village’s famous pine honey, the fresh air smelling of thyme, bay and sage plants, the majestic mountains housing ancient ruins, the natural beauties and historical richness fascinate everyone coming to Orhaniye.

The majority of the village population is involved in beekeeping (apiculture). The beehives lined up on the roadside greet the passers by like a natural part of the view. Pure and natural pine and thyme honey, free from additives, is one of the leading and most valuable local products of Orhaniye.

In addition to beekeeping, the villagers that own olive trees in the village are involved in olive cultivation and olive oil production. You can purchase thyme, thyme extract, sage, sage oil, pine honey, peanuts, special hand processed olives and olive oil, myrtle leaves, figs, apricots, grapes and bay (daphne) leaves both as souvenirs and for yourself in special packaging at Orhaniye.

You can also buy all natural and organic fruits and vegetables from the village market that is open every Saturday in Orhaniye.

The calm bay of Orhaniye offers an ideal environment for lovers of both diving and fishing.

It is believed that the ancient castle ruins on top of the island in the bay belong to the ancient Bybassios city. You may climb up the castle that was probably built for keeping watch against pirates and take astonishing photos.

You can reach the island by boat and climb up the castle ruins following the pathway. You will forget that you are tired once you see the magnificent view. It is said that the people of Bybassios brought water to the island from the waterfall in Turgut village through arches and pipes they laid under water. You can enjoy a day of nature hiking along the pathways to the mountains beneath the trees.

For cycling lovers, Hisarönü – Orhaniye – Selimiye coastal road is a very enjoyable route.

The places on the seaside serve as beach clubs at noon and restaurants in the evening. You may enjoy the sea on these beaches at noon and watch the glorious sunset at their seaside bars and have dinner in the evenings.

You may take boat tours cruising Hisarönü Bay from Orhaniye. These boat tours of fabulous bays and views take stops at Selimiye, Hisarönü, İnbükü (Emel Sayın) coves and Dişlice Island. Dişlice Island is interesting for its small canyons and rocky structure. You can read about another quality of Dişlice Island arising from its rocky structure in the part on Selimiye.

For a unique experience after the sunset, you can take moonlight boat tours. For those interested in sailing, there are also daily sailing tours with captain available at Orhaniye. The sailing tours with captain usually start at 10:00 and include a 2-hour sailing training during cruising. After a swimming and lunch break in or out of the bay depending on weather conditions, the boat sails again at 13:30 and after a 2-hour sailing depending on weather conditions, a 45-minute swimming and rest break is taken, and the boat returns to marina at around 18:00.

The calm sea at Hisarönü Bay also hosts fish coming to lay their eggs. The rich variety of fish in Orhaniye includes sea bream, red mullet, leer fish, blue spotted sea bream and whiting fish. Shrimp, octopus and squid are all very delicious.

For an enjoyable dinner at Orhaniye, you can choose Orhaniye Bük Restaurant. The kids’ park on the seaside on Orhaniye coast is one of the most beautiful kids’ parks we have ever seen with its magnificent view. While your kids are cheerfully playing at the park, you can keep an eye on them also enjoying the magnificent view.

The ruins of Bybassios, which is an ancient Carian city, are situated on one of the summits of the mountain by Orhaniye. You can drive to the village near Bybassios. When the direction signs are not sufficient, the villagers will gladly help you find your way. The road up is bumpy earth road. You can reach the top by a 45-minute climbing in the forest after leaving your car at the village.

The splendid view covering a wide region from Selimiye to Hisarönü at the top will definitely make you forget how tired you are.